Originally Posted by
taras0000
So are the guys on big gears using longer cranks to accommodate this GPF (ground propulsive force)?
Not necessarily.
My comment above was simply to address the sensation that changing crank lengths felt like it requires a gear change like this:
Originally Posted by
brawlo
Too damn well! At the carnival mentioned above due to the roller derby being between other events, I was rushing to change gears for the track events. I kept the gearing that I had been used to with my regular 175s. The 165s being 6% different really wasn't a lot, but it was enough to take the snap out of accelerations and I suffered badly in the keirin race where I ran a bigger gear. But that was going virtually overnight from 175-165. I honestly believe that after a month or so, you could condition yourself to adjust to the gear.
I was quantifying what he experienced.
In my opinion, it wasn't simply that @
brawlo wasn't accustomed to the shorter length, the 165mm cranks unexpectedly required more force to achieve the same speeds that he did when he was riding 175mm cranks to keep pace with his regular racing partners.
I do know some people are using longer cranks in order to ride bigger gears. I think I read that Sarah Hammer rides 172.5 or 175mm cranks which wouldn't be expected for a rider her height.
I also know of elite sprinters over 6ft / 182cm tall who are riding 165mm cranks. I'm also over 6ft tall and I chose 165mm cranks. My reasons being that I can make more torque than I know what to do with and I can also roll high rpms, so that's the riding style I'll adopt: Moderate Gearing + High RPMs = zoom zoom.
The takeaway is that when one changes crank lengths to suit one's riding style, one must adjust gearing accordingly.